A heavily armed gunman killed at least 14 people and wounded 50 more during an early Friday morning screening of the new Batman movie at an Aurora, Colorado, theater, police Chief Dan Oates told reporters.

Police arrested a man believed to be the shooter in a rear parking lot of the theater, Frank Fania, a police spokesman, told CNN. The suspect was not immediately identified, though Fania said he was believed to be in his early 20s.
"He did not resist. He did not put up a fight," Fania said. Police seized a rifle and a handgun from the suspect, and another gun was found in the theater, he said.

The killer first set off what might have been a pepper spray bomb and then shot at guests in the theater as they fled. The theater was a mutiplex located in a large mall. The suspect is in custody.

There is no word on the identity or motive of the suspect at this time.

Police chief Dan Oates told reporters that an apartment block in the north of Aurora had been evacuated as they investigated that information.

The gunman was named as James Holmes, by FBI and Department of Homeland Security sources.

...Another witness, Chayyiel Jackson, told the BBC: "During the first action scene in the movie, on the right side a dude came in all blacked out, with a black mask. At first we thought it was part of the movie event.

"He threw tear gas across the crowd and after that people started to panic. He pulled out a rifle and started shooting.

Update by SH: The shooter is 24 years old and and a local resident. The police are searching his apartment now

Local news reports showed aerial video of police cautiously searching Holmes' apartment, some five miles from the Century Aurora 16 theater, as the suspect reportedly told police he had explosives inside.

Update II by SH: Two[same person...ed] of those killed identified, both she moved from Texas to Colorado. Jessica Ghawi, originally from San Antonio and Jessica Redfield:[Note update below. Per commenter TinDenver she uses Redfield as her TV anchor name]

6:36 AM: Our Melody Mendez is reporting that another one of the 12 dead is Jessica Refield, a native of Texas who moved to Colorado last year. She interned for FOX31 for a brief time. Mendez said she was a huge sports fan, who also interned for a Denver radio station.

Eerily, Redfield, was at Toronto's Eaton Center when the mass shooting happened in June of this year

I can’t get this odd feeling out of my chest. This empty, almost sickening feeling won’t go away. I noticed this feeling when I was in the Eaton Center in Toronto just seconds before someone opened fire in the food court. An odd feeling which led me to go outside and unknowingly out of harm‘s way.

Update III: FNC is reporting Jessica Redfield also goes by the name Jessica Ghawi. So strike the update above about 2 different people. Per TinDever Redfield is her TV anchor name.

9:11 AM: Police say they’ve evacuated 5 buildings near suspect James Holmes’ booby-trapped apartment. “It appears that’s sufficient at this time,” officials said. They continued to say “it could be hours, it could be days” until the apartment is ruled safe again.

9:15 AM: CU-Denver Medical Campus said that suspected shooter was a student in the Fall of 2011. He was studying some form of neuroscience at the Medical Campus and withdrew in June.

Washington (CNN) -- U.S. troops were among the casualties in the shooting rampage at the Colorado movie theater, including a sailor who was listed as unaccounted for, the Pentagon said Friday.

The Defense Department released a statement that said one sailor was injured and another one, known to have been at the theater, was unaccounted for. Two airmen were wounded in the incident, it said.

News conference 7:16p: Work on booby trapped apartment ceased until tomorrow morning. Unbelievable amount of ammunition perp purchased over the internet. He purchased his weapons locally.

Note: No longer sticky, but will update if any new and confirmed developments happen. Law enforcement have their hands full, especially the situation at his apartment building.

Update by Howie 07/22/12/ So I guess the chief is lying when he said didn't leak the Joker meme to NY. When I saw the red and green windows in the apartment . Well.

I'm not sure why they are being so difficult about telling more about the suspect. But I have some ideas about that. It will become clear in some days. I suspect a lot of things will become much clearer. I predict the perp does use the internet (just not in his name, wink wink) and is not the totally isolated recluse he's portrayed as. Nor is he insane. And also life is playing out pretty much like Batman.